Wynton Kelly
Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was a Jamaican American jazz pianist.Jazz.com http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/kelly-wynton.West, Hollie I. (April 14, 1971) "Wynton Kelly, 39, Modern Jazz Pianist" The Washington Post. He is perhaps best known for working with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1959 to 1962.class=artist|id=p6884/biography|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic Biography The son of Jamaican immigrants, Kelly was born in Brooklyn, New York. He started his professional career in 1943, before his teens, initially as a member of R&B groups. Around this time he also played organ in local churches.New York Amsterdam News (July 28, 1945) "St. Agnes Guild Will Present United Nations Pageant Here" R&B bands that he played with up to 1951 included those led by Ray Abrams, Hot Lips Page, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis.Visser, Joop Wynton Kelly: First Sessions booklet. "Proper Records". Kelly became better known after joining Dinah Washington's band in 1951, going on to record 14 titles for Blue Note in his trio in the same year. After this he played with bands led by Lester Young and Dizzy Gillespie, recording with the latter in 1952. Kelly was drafted into the army in September 1952, and stayed for two years, ending that period with a music performance for an audience of 10,000 in the Chastain Memorial Park Amphitheater in Atlanta, Georgia.New York Amsterdam News (September 11, 1954) "Jazz Pianist Wynton Kelly Discharged By The Army". p. 20 After leaving the military, Kelly worked with Washington again (1955–1957), Charles Mingus (1956–1957), and the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band (1957), before leaving Gillespie and forming his own trio, which then recorded the second album under Kelly's name, more than six years after the first. He would, however, be most famous for his stint with Miles Davis from 1959 to 1963, recording such albums with him as Kind of Blue, At the Blackhawk, and Someday My Prince Will Come. On 1959's Kind of Blue, Kelly replaced Bill Evans on the track "Freddie Freeloader". Kelly likewise appeared on a single track from John Coltrane's Giant Steps, replacing Tommy Flanagan on "Naima". When he left Davis, Kelly took the rest of the rhythm section (bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb) with him to form his trio. This trio also joined Wes Montgomery, appearing on three of the guitarist's albums, including Full House and Smokin' at the Half Note. Kelly recorded as a leader for Blue Note, Riverside Records, Vee-Jay, Verve, and Milestone.See Kelly's discography. Kelly had a daughter, Tracy, in 1963, with partner Anne. The track "Little Tracy", on the LP Comin' in the Back Door, is named after Kelly's daughter. Tracy Matisak is a now a Philadelphia television personality. Kelly's second cousin, bassist Marcus Miller, also performed with Miles Davis in the 1980s and 1990s. Other cousins are pianist Randy Weston and rapper Foxy Brown. Death Kelly died in Toronto, Canada, from an epileptic seizure, on April 12, 1971. He had travelled there from New York to play in a club with drummer George Reed and vocalist Herb Marshall.Richmond, Norman (Otis) (December 2, 2011) "Wynton Kelly: 'The light for the cigarette... Without him, there's no smoking'" Uhurunews.com Kelly had a longstanding epilepsy problem, and had to monitor his condition to avoid the danger of swallowing his tongue or dentures as the result of a seizure. An account of his death was given by his friend, Jimmy Cobb: "Wynton called his girlfriend in New York and said, 'You know, I don't feel good.' She said, 'Why don't you go downstairs to the bar and if something happens somebody could tend to you.' We don't know if he did that, because when they found him he was in the room."Kahn, Ashley (November 2003) "Jimmy Cobb: The Reluctant Don" [http://jazztimes.com/articles/14197-jimmy-cobb-the-reluctant-don JazzTimes.] Kelly was found in his room in the Westminster Hotel on Jarvis Street by Herb Marshall. He was reported to have had almost no money at the time of his death.Hentoff, Nat (December 12, 2011) "Nat Hentoff on the Jazz Foundation of America" [http://jazztimes.com/articles/28858-nat-hentoff-on-the-jazz-foundation-of-america JazzTimes.] A memorial concert was held on June 28 in New York and featured numerous well-known musicians of the period.New York Amsterdam News (June 26, 1971) "Memorial For Wynton" Playing style Kelly played "with a crisp, leaping rhythmic blues approach that generated intense excitement". The happiness conveyed in his playing was described by Jimmy Cobb: "It's happy sounding all the time. It's got a West Indian kind of hop to it. Always sparkling". Influence on others Kelly's style of playing has been an influence on numerous pianists. Among those to cite him directly as an influence are Brad MehldauMilkowski, Bill (December, 1998) "Brad Mehldau: Keyed In" [http://jazztimes.com/articles/20837-brad-mehldau-keyed-in JazzTimes] and Monty Alexander.Chicago Defender (Daily Edition) (February 27, 1975) "Pianist Monty Alexander plays in the Back Room", p. 15. Pianists Dan Nimmer and Willie Pickens have recorded tribute albums to Kelly.Conrad, Thomas (May, 2007) "Dan Nimmer Trio Kelly Blue" [http://jazztimes.com/articles/18897-kelly-blue-dan-nimmer-trio JazzTimes] Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is said to have been named after Kelly."Marsalis, Wynton (Learson)" Jazz.com Discography As leader As sideman With Julian "Cannonball" Adderley *''Things Are Getting Better'' (1958) *''Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago'' (1959) *''Cannonball Takes Charge'' (1959) *''African Waltz'' (1961) *''The Cannonball Adderley Quintet Plus'' (1961) With Nat Adderley *''Much Brass'' (1959) *''That's Right!'' (1960) *''Naturally!'' (1961) With Lorez Alexandria *''Alexandria the Great'' (Impulse!, 1964) *''More of the Great Lorez Alexandria'' (Impulse!, 1964) With Gene Ammons *''Night Lights'' (Prestige, 1970 1985) With Walter Benton *''Out of This World'' (Jazzland, 1960) With Bob Brookmeyer *''Jazz is a Kick'' (1960) With Joy Bryan *''Make the Man Love Me'' (1961) With Donald Byrd *''Modern Jazz Perspective'' (Columbia, 1957) - with Gigi Gryce *''Off to the Races'' (Blue Note, 1958) With Betty Carter *''Out There'' (1958) With Paul Chambers *''Go...'' (1959) *''1st Bassman'' (1960) With James Clay *''The Sound of the Wide Open Spaces!!!!'' (Riverside, 1960) With Jimmy Cleveland *''Cleveland Style'' (1957) With John Coltrane *''Giant Steps'' (1960) *''Coltrane Jazz'' (1961) With King Curtis *''The New Scene of King Curtis'' (1960) *''Soul Meeting'' (1960) With Miles Davis *''Kind of Blue'' (1959) *''Someday My Prince Will Come'' (1961) With Curtis Fuller *''The Curtis Fuller Jazztet'' (Savoy, 1959) With Dizzy Gillespie *''Dee Gee Days: The Savoy Sessions'' (Savoy, 1951-52 1976) *''Dizzy and Strings'' (1954) *''Dizzy Atmosphere'' (1957) *''Birks' Works'' (1957) *''Dizzy in Greece'' (1957) *''Dizzy Gillespie and Stuff Smith'' (Verve, 1957) *''Dizzy Gillespie at Newport'' (Verve, 1957) With Benny Golson *''Benny Golson's New York Scene'' (Contemporary, 1957) *''The Modern Touch'' (Riverside, 1957) *''Turning Point'' (Mercury, 1962) With Paul Gonsalves *''Gettin' Together'' (1960) With Dexter Gordon *''The Jumpin' Blues'' (Prestige, 1970) With Grant Green *''First Session'' (Blue Note, 1960) With Johnny Griffin *''Introducing Johnny Griffin'' (1956) *''A Blowin' Session'' (Blue Note, 1957) With Eddie Harris *''Cool Sax, Warm Heart'' (Columbia, 1964) With Jimmy Heath *''The Thumper'' (Riverside, 1959) *''On the Trail'' (Riverside, 1964) With Bill Henderson *''Bill Henderson Sings'' (1959) With Joe Henderson *''Four'' (1968) *''Straight, No Chaser'' (1968) With Ernie Henry *''Seven Standards and a Blues'' (Riverside, 1957) *''Last Chorus'' (Riverside, 1957) With Billie Holiday *''Lady Sings the Blues'' (1956) With Helen Humes *''Swingin' with Humes'' (1961) With Illinois Jacquet *''The Blues; That's Me!'' (Prestige, 1969) With Eddie Jefferson *''Letter From Home'' (1962) With J. J. Johnson *''The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2'' (1954) With Philly Joe Jones *''Drums Around the World'' (Riverside, 1959) *''Together!'' (Atlantic, 1961) - with Elvin Jones With Sam Jones *''The Chant'' (Riverside, 1961) *''Down Home'' (Riverside, 1962) With Roland Kirk *''Domino'' (1962) With Steve Lacy *''Soprano Sax'' (1957) With Abbey Lincoln *''That's Him!'' (Riverside, 1957) *''It's Magic'' (Riverside, 1958) *''Abbey Is Blue'' (Riverside, 1959) With Booker Little *''Booker Little'' (1960) With Johnny Lytle *''The Loop'' (Tuba, 1965) *''New and Groovy'' (Tuba, 1966) With Chuck Mangione *''Recuerdo'' (1962) With Blue Mitchell *''Big 6'' (1958) *''Blue Soul'' (1959) *''Blue's Moods'' (1960) *''A Sure Thing'' (1962) With Hank Mobley *''Peckin' Time'' (1958) *''Soul Station'' (1960) *''Roll Call'' (1961) *''Workout'' (1961) *''Another Workout'' (1961) With Milt Jackson and Wes Montgomery *''Bags Meets Wes!'' (1961) With Wes Montgomery *''Full House'' (1962) *''Smokin' at the Half Note'' (1965) With Lee Morgan *''Lee Morgan Vol.3'' (1957) *''Here's Lee Morgan'' (1960) With Mark Murphy *''Rah'' (1961) With David Newman *''Staight Ahead'' (1960) With Art Pepper *''Gettin' Together'' (1960) With Sonny Red *''Out of the Blue'' (1959) With Dizzy Reece *''Star Bright'' (1959) With Wayne Shorter *''Introducing Wayne Shorter'' (Vee-Jay, 1959) With Sonny Rollins *''Sonny Rollins, Vol. 1'' (1956) *''Newk's Time'' (Blue Note, 1957) With Don Sleet *''All Members'' (1961) With Frank Strozier *''Fantastic Frank Strozier'' (1959) With Art Taylor *''A.T.'s Delight'' (Blue Note, 1960) With Clark Terry *''Serenade to a Bus Seat'' (Riverside, 1957) With Teri Thornton *''Devil May Care'' (Riverside, 1961) With Phil Upchurch *''Feeling Blue'' (1967) With Dinah Washington *''Back to the Blues'' (1962) References External links *Wynton Kelly Discography at jazzdisco.org accessed August 19, 2010 *Wynton Kelly Discography with cover photos accessed August 19, 2010 *Wynton Kelly Hardbop Homepage accessed August 20, 2010 *class=artist|id=p6884|pure_url=yes}} Wynton Kelly Allmusic Biography accessed August 20, 2010 *Wynton Kelly at Icons of Jazz accessed June 14, 2013 Category:Pianists